SoBe Arts Presents "Fairy Tales, Songs of the Dandelion Woman"
Miami Beach, FL, April 28, 2014 --(PR.com)-- From May 8 through May 18, the Little Stage Theater at SoBe Institute of the Arts becomes the portal to "Fairy Tales, Songs of the Dandelion Woman," a 70-minute trip “down the rabbit hole.” With a score and libretto created by Carson Kievman, this contemporary music-theater journey hurtles through a kaleidoscopically shifting mental landscape, past the borderline between hilarity and madness, into a surrealistic dislocation. This parallel world, very much like our own as seen through a magnifying glass, is created as the Bank Examiner (Ken Mattice, baritone) and The Dandelion Woman (Meagan Brus, soprano) become aware of each other: an authority figure who is charged with determining her competence, and a misfit who moves with angular grace through her own private world, and is charismatic enough to dismantle the system simply by living as she pleases.
Is this an Orphean rescue with a mythic subtext or a modern urban fairy tale? The hauntingly provocative music reveals “truth beyond fantasy and truth beyond nerve,” and leaves the audience to discern whether or not the characters are “trapped in their endless universe, between cause and effect”, or if they live happily ever after…”for, as they say, every fiction must end.”
With stage direction by Jeffrey Marc Buchman, music direction by Mary Adelyn Kauffman, award winning design team Sean McClelland (sets), Patrick Tennent (lighting), Camilla Haith (costumes) Alain Lores (projections), as well as a top-flight ensemble of instrumentalists, Fairy Tales, Songs of the Dandelion Woman will take place in the Little Stage Theater @ SoBe Arts previewing on Thursday, May 8 ($20/$10) and Fridays and Saturdays May 9, 10, 16 and 17 at 8pm, and Sundays May 11 and 18 at 7:30 pm. The Opening Gala performance and champagne reception will take place on Friday May 9 ($50/$25). Tickets for all other performances are $25 and student/senior tickets are $15, in accord with SoBe Arts mission to provide live theater at accessible prices. Parking is free. The Little Stage Theater @ SoBe Arts is an intimate black box-style space that accommodates a limited number of patrons. For tickets, call 305-674-9220 or visit http://sobearts.org.
About Megan Brus (The Dandelion Woman)
Megan Brus returns to SoBe Arts as The Dandelion Woman after critical acclaim for creating the role of Ophelia in 2012 for the World Premiere performance of Kievman’s opera Hamlet. Her interpretation of this work caused the Miami Herald to write, “Meagan Brus nearly stole the show as Ophelia with her flawless coloratura and compelling portrait of emotional disintegration.”
About Kenneth Mattice (Bank Examiner)
Baritone Kenneth Mattice is also known to SoBe Arts audiences from his arresting performance in the 2012 World Premiere of Kievman’s opera Hamlet. The Miami Herald praised Kenneth Mattice as “a charismatic Hamlet; his fine lyric baritone spinning the often unaccompanied solos effortlessly.” These accolades have been echoed by Opera News (“handsome baritone [voice] displaying a glistening edge”).
About Carson Kievman (Composer)
For nearly 40 years, Carson Kievman has been creating for performing arts centers and festivals around the world. Kievman has written nine full-length operas, five symphonies, numerous other music-theater pieces, orchestral works and a variety of chamber ensembles and multimedia compositions. “As a builder of music-theater constructions, Kievman is a wizard!” - The Village Voice
About Jeffrey Marc Buchman (Stage Director)
Mr. Buchman began his work in opera as an acclaimed singer noted for his ability to merge acting and singing. He has directed numerous successful performances both in the U.S. and abroad, and recently for the Florida Grand Opera. The South Florida Classical Review has stated “Director Jeffrey Marc Buchman has mastered an art beyond the powers of many directors” and Opera News has called him "a formidable talent.”
About Mary Adelyn Kauffman (Music Director)
Dr. Mary Adelyn Kauffman, pianist, vocal coach and conductor enjoyed a free-lance career in Germany, Italy and Spain before accepting positions within the German state-supported opera system. With Fairy Tales, Mary returns to SoBe Arts where she was on the music team for the world premiere of Hamlet Soundtheater.
Our Design Team
Sean McClelland (set), Carbonell award winner, has received critical acclaim for his work on many productions including, August: Osage County and Les Misérables at the Actors Playhouse and has also designed for the Santa Fe Opera, GableStage and SoBe Arts.
Patrick Tennent (lighting) served as Resident Lighting Designer for Actors' Playhouse from 2003-2013 before relocating to New York in the summer of 2013. He was honored to receive the Carbonell award in 2011 for his design of Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol.
Camilla Haith (costumes) is the Costume Director for Florida Grand Opera. She has been with the company for seven seasons, and was the costume designer for many of this season’s critically acclaimed productions.
Alain Lores (projections) is the director and motion graphics artist behind LoresFX, an animation studio based in Miami, FL. He was the Associate Producer and Motion graphics artist for the award winning movie Far out isn’t far enough.
Is this an Orphean rescue with a mythic subtext or a modern urban fairy tale? The hauntingly provocative music reveals “truth beyond fantasy and truth beyond nerve,” and leaves the audience to discern whether or not the characters are “trapped in their endless universe, between cause and effect”, or if they live happily ever after…”for, as they say, every fiction must end.”
With stage direction by Jeffrey Marc Buchman, music direction by Mary Adelyn Kauffman, award winning design team Sean McClelland (sets), Patrick Tennent (lighting), Camilla Haith (costumes) Alain Lores (projections), as well as a top-flight ensemble of instrumentalists, Fairy Tales, Songs of the Dandelion Woman will take place in the Little Stage Theater @ SoBe Arts previewing on Thursday, May 8 ($20/$10) and Fridays and Saturdays May 9, 10, 16 and 17 at 8pm, and Sundays May 11 and 18 at 7:30 pm. The Opening Gala performance and champagne reception will take place on Friday May 9 ($50/$25). Tickets for all other performances are $25 and student/senior tickets are $15, in accord with SoBe Arts mission to provide live theater at accessible prices. Parking is free. The Little Stage Theater @ SoBe Arts is an intimate black box-style space that accommodates a limited number of patrons. For tickets, call 305-674-9220 or visit http://sobearts.org.
About Megan Brus (The Dandelion Woman)
Megan Brus returns to SoBe Arts as The Dandelion Woman after critical acclaim for creating the role of Ophelia in 2012 for the World Premiere performance of Kievman’s opera Hamlet. Her interpretation of this work caused the Miami Herald to write, “Meagan Brus nearly stole the show as Ophelia with her flawless coloratura and compelling portrait of emotional disintegration.”
About Kenneth Mattice (Bank Examiner)
Baritone Kenneth Mattice is also known to SoBe Arts audiences from his arresting performance in the 2012 World Premiere of Kievman’s opera Hamlet. The Miami Herald praised Kenneth Mattice as “a charismatic Hamlet; his fine lyric baritone spinning the often unaccompanied solos effortlessly.” These accolades have been echoed by Opera News (“handsome baritone [voice] displaying a glistening edge”).
About Carson Kievman (Composer)
For nearly 40 years, Carson Kievman has been creating for performing arts centers and festivals around the world. Kievman has written nine full-length operas, five symphonies, numerous other music-theater pieces, orchestral works and a variety of chamber ensembles and multimedia compositions. “As a builder of music-theater constructions, Kievman is a wizard!” - The Village Voice
About Jeffrey Marc Buchman (Stage Director)
Mr. Buchman began his work in opera as an acclaimed singer noted for his ability to merge acting and singing. He has directed numerous successful performances both in the U.S. and abroad, and recently for the Florida Grand Opera. The South Florida Classical Review has stated “Director Jeffrey Marc Buchman has mastered an art beyond the powers of many directors” and Opera News has called him "a formidable talent.”
About Mary Adelyn Kauffman (Music Director)
Dr. Mary Adelyn Kauffman, pianist, vocal coach and conductor enjoyed a free-lance career in Germany, Italy and Spain before accepting positions within the German state-supported opera system. With Fairy Tales, Mary returns to SoBe Arts where she was on the music team for the world premiere of Hamlet Soundtheater.
Our Design Team
Sean McClelland (set), Carbonell award winner, has received critical acclaim for his work on many productions including, August: Osage County and Les Misérables at the Actors Playhouse and has also designed for the Santa Fe Opera, GableStage and SoBe Arts.
Patrick Tennent (lighting) served as Resident Lighting Designer for Actors' Playhouse from 2003-2013 before relocating to New York in the summer of 2013. He was honored to receive the Carbonell award in 2011 for his design of Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol.
Camilla Haith (costumes) is the Costume Director for Florida Grand Opera. She has been with the company for seven seasons, and was the costume designer for many of this season’s critically acclaimed productions.
Alain Lores (projections) is the director and motion graphics artist behind LoresFX, an animation studio based in Miami, FL. He was the Associate Producer and Motion graphics artist for the award winning movie Far out isn’t far enough.
Contact
SoBe Institute of the Arts
Ivona Shedroff
305-674-9220
www.sobearts.org
Ivona Shedroff
305-674-9220
www.sobearts.org
Contact
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